Ramadan to align over Kaaba tonight, providing natural guide for Qibla | World News

Residents of the UAE and wider region may witness a remarkable celestial event tonight as the Ramadan moon will appear directly above the Holy Kaaba in Mecca.Astronomers from the Jeddah Astronomical Society announced that on February 28, 2026, 87% to 89% of the moon will be illuminated, making it bright and clearly visible in the night sky.At 10:40 PM Saudi Arabia Standard Time, the moon will be aligned directly above the Kaaba. Experts note that those who observe the position of the moon at that time can use it as a natural guide to determine the direction of qibla (the direction of prayer toward Mecca).Engineer Majid Al-Zahra, president of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, explained that the moon will reach an altitude of about 89.98 degrees, just one arcminute short of a perfect 90-degree alignment.At the time of alignment, the Moon is approximately 11.3 to 11.6 days old, in the middle of the 29.5-day post-new moon lunar cycle.With illumination reaching nearly 91%, lunar craters and surface features are expected to appear more clearly when viewed through a telescope.Even more stunningly, the Nathura star cluster (also known as the Beehive Cluster) in the constellation Cancer will coincide with this alignment. The moon and star clusters can be seen in the same field of view using binoculars, and in darker locations star clusters can even be spotted with the naked eye.Astronomers warned that visibility could vary depending on local weather conditions, noting that the alignment would only be visible for a short period of time.